News of: Tuesday, 19th of February, 2008

Front Page

The Bangladesh Bank (BB) yesterday asked all commercial banks to submit proposals within two weeks on how to reduce interest spread between lending and deposit rates and charges for different services.

When malnutrition is considered a major cause of child mortality in countries like Bangladesh, bird-flu panic is deteriorating the situation as the protein intake of some people has decreased significantly.

Musharraf lost his most important political battle within two months after taking off his Army uniform. February 18t was a historical day. People of Pakistan tried to defeat terror and tyranny by the vote power. There were many incidents of bombings and sniper firing just one day before the polling. Targets were the anti-Musharraf parties.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Nur Mohammad yesterday said if any of the investigation officers is found guilty of diverting the August 21 grenade attack case to a different direction, he would be punished after disposal of the case.

The Supreme Court (SC) is scheduled to hear today the government's petition seeking permission to appeal the High Court's (HC) landmark judgment that quashed the Tk 2.99 crore extortion case against Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina.

Chief Adviser (CA) Fakhruddin Ahmed yesterday said construction work on Padma Bridge will begin next year to establish a direct road link between the southwestern region and other parts of the country.

The government is close to finalising the "Truth Commission" after a committee of legal experts handed over its draft. The truth commission would allow politicians and businessmen avoid jail sentences and seek "rehabilitation" by confessing to their corruption.

At least 40 people, including six policemen, were injured in a series of clashes between police and fans of departed film star Manna near Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (BFDC) in Tejgaon yesterday.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has made a move to unearth the mystery behind the seizure of a grenade at the Dhaka Central Jail a day after the grenade attacks on an Awami League rally on Bangabandhu Avenue on August 21, 2004.

Editorial

WE welcome the decision of the caretaker government to bring in ordinance to annul the 2003 Gram Sarkar Act. The point at issue was not the idea of a gram sarkar per se, which in itself merits consideration, but the intention of the then ruling alliance of politicising the local government institutions for petty party aggrandisement. And this was palpably clear in their undue haste in forming gram sarkars in a large number of villages. It is interesting to read the remarks of the High Court while ruling in favour of a writ brought against the Act. While declaring the Act ultra vires of the constitution the High Court nonetheless thought the idea was a novel one.

IT is extremely disquieting news that medical equipment worth Taka several crore is lying unused at Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital in Bogra due to lack of structural facilities and competent technicians and chemists. The idle equipment includes a radiotherapy machine that cost the hospital Tk 19.68 crore.

"WHAT is Deformed, Cannot be Reformed" was one of the topics of a debate competition organised by the IBA Department of Dhaka University some months back. It was obviously an oblique reference to the moribund state of the major political parties of the country.

CHIEF Minister Parkash Singh Badal should immediately stop all supplies of Punjab wheat to Raj Thackeray and all members of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, who believe they can milk votes for a dead cause by victimising Biharis in Mumbai. The point is not too difficult to appreciate. India is not a one-way street. India survives as a single nation of free people, or it does not survive at all.

En route to Sheboygan, Wisconsin, last week for a round-table discussion about balancing work and family, Michelle Obama talked with Newsweek's Richard Wolffe about her joke-telling, Hillary Clinton -- and whether she has time for a "normal" relationship with her husband.

Sports

Zunaed Siddiqui showed no nerve against a strong South African pace attack with a glitzy hundred as Bangladesh Cricket Board XI made a bold reply on the second day of the three-day warmup match at the Fatullah Cricket Stadium yesterday.

Bangladesh made a strong start while fellow title contenders South Africa, New Zealand and Sri Lanka overcame stuttering beginnings to win their opening matches in cricket's ICC Under-19 World Cup yesterday.

Abahani will return to international club football after a long time when they face last year's runners-up and host club Nepal Police Club in the opening match of the AFC Presidents Cup qualifying Group A in Kathmandu on April 20.

It's 38 degree Celsius in Adelaide and the Indians find themselves in the hot seat. It's the business end of the tournament and even if their countenance suggests they are relaxed, the sweat is steadily gathering across those creased foreheads.

Italy's World Cup winning-coach Marcello Lippi admits he is surprised German giants Bayern Munich have chosen Jurgen Klinsmann as their coach for next season, because of his lack of domestic experience.

When the second edition of the Indo-Bangladesh Bangla Games kicks off at the Bangabandhu National Stadium this weekend, Bangladeshi athletes will target ten more gold medals than the inaugural event hosted by Kolkata.

Enamul Hossain Rajib won his fourth round match in Group A2 at the Aeroflot Open International Chess Festival in Moscow on Sunday when the Bangladeshi International Master defeated Russian IM Viktor Kuznetosov.

Four organisers left Dhaka yesterday for Kuala Lumpur to meet Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president Mohammad Bin Hammam to present the case of Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF), which faces opposition from different quarters in following the guideline of FIFA to form the football associations (FA).

Rupali Bank made sure the opening day of First Division Cricket League had a tight game when they prevailed in a curtailed-over game against an experienced Cricket Coaching School (CCS) at the Dhaka University ground yesterday.

Left-arm paceman Irfan Pathan today denied the team was distracted by the imminent bidding for the Indian Premier League and promised that it would come out firing in the crucial tri-series encounter against Sri Lanka.

Bundesliga side Schalke 04 face Porto at the Veltins Arena here on Tuesday in the first-leg of the Champions League first knock-out round with the Portuguese relishing a return to the scene of their most recent European triumph.

Bayern coach Ottmar Hitzfeld was full of praise for Luca Toni who bagged his first Bundesliga hattrick to fire Bayern Munich back into a three-point lead at the top of the table in the 3-0 win at Hanover.

Seats for learning computer science and computer engineering at public universities should be doubled to meet the country's growing demand for skilled IT graduates, a seminar in Dhaka yesterday was told.

Sugar production in India, the world's second largest producer of the sweetener, is estimated to have declined by nine lakh ton in the first quarter of 2007-08 season due to delay in start of sugarcane crushing by the mills.

Decentralisation of planning and administration is a must for the development of the country, Bangladesh Kalyan Party (BKP) Chairman Maj Gen (retd) Syed Muhammad Ibrahim Bir Pratik said in the port city yesterday.

'Ekushey Udjapan Kendriya Committee' or the central committee to observe Amar Ekushey has called on all not to stick any poster, picture or banner to newly painted walls in the Dhaka University area in order to maintain sanctity of the Amar Ekushey, says a press release.

Four distinguished litterateurs and an eminent artist of the country were awarded the 'Citi-Ananda Alo Literary Award 2008' yesterday in recognition of their outstanding contributions to their respective fields.

The result of admission test for the first year of National University (NU) under academic session 2007-08 will be published at its websites (www.nu.edu.bd and www.nuadmission.com) at 8:00pm today, says a press release.

Mohimaganj Sugar Mills in Gaibandha has ceased its production after running for 71 days in this current season while private-owned Nitol Sugar Mills in Kiushoreganj is now operating only one shift a day due to short supply of sugarcane.

Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) arrested five people including a BNP leader in Gobindagnaj upazila and recovered 247 sacks of banned Indian jute seeds worth about Tk 12 lakh from different go-downs possessed by them.

Kosovo's leaders sent letters 192 countries yesterday seeking formal recognition of independence, and suspense gripped the province as its citizens awaited key backing from the US and key European powers.

Israel's prime minister on Sunday gave his military a "free hand" to attack Gaza militants after a rocket slammed into a house in this town where the visiting UN humanitarian chief had just called for an end to the daily salvos.

At least 20 Maoists including women cadre and three policemen have been killed in an ongoing gun battle between fleeing extreme left elements and security personnel, said official sources here on Sunday.

Indian detectives investigating a multi-million dollar illegal kidney transplant racket have arrested the brother and alleged accomplice of the main suspect in the case, a police spokesman said yesterday.

Arts & Entertainment

TWO Bangladeshi cultural teams have received accolades abroad, briefed the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) authority at a press conference. The press conference was held at the academy premises yesterday. Along with the BSA authorities, artistes from both the teams attended the conference.

Theatre activists in Bangladesh greeted the foreign delegates with dance and music at the inaugural programme of the 9th ITI Theatre Festival on February 17. The weeklong theatre festival was inaugurated by Rasheda K. Chowdhury, Adviser to the Ministry of Cultural Affairs.

Through his songs, 'Baul Samrat' Shah Abdul Karim has inspired us, in particular the people of greater Sylhet region, for decades. This bard has touched the hearts of people -- from the common man to the sophisticated elite. There should be measures to observe his birth anniversary on a national level. Speakers said at a discussion held on the occasion of Karim's 93rd birth anniversary at the M Saifur Rahman auditorium in Sylhet city on February 15.

A programme titled Bangladesh-Korea Cultural Evening was held at the Jahangirnagar University campus recently, says a press release. Pro-Vice Chancellor of Jahangirnagar University (JU), Dr. Mohammad Muniruzzaman, inaugurated the event. Consul of the South Korean embassy, Lee Dong Huy, was present as the special guest.

OP-ED

I must congratulate Helal Ahmed Chowdhury, Managing Director of Pubali Bank, for coming up with a very innovative scheme for funding the prospective job seekers abroad. A substantial number of the expatriate wage earners are victims of the unscrupulous manpower agents who extract substantial sums from job seekers for employment abroad. Pubali Bank has initiated an expatriate lending project whereby the bank will advance money to the prospective job seekers who will repay the loan from their remittances.

THIS was one fired-up crowd. At a rally for Sen. Hillary Clinton at St. Mary's University in San Antonio last Wednesday, thousands of people erupted with euphoria. They cheered, they chanted, they stomped their feet.

HUGE explosions of crackers rent the air, booming from rooftops and the tower of a water tank that looms over this heartland town in Pakistan's all-important Punjab province. Nobody winces, much less looks up.

RECENT revelations of widespread corruption in World Bank health programs in India have led to the usual expressions of outrage. Like the policeman in "Casablanca" professing shock that gambling was going on at Rick's, the World Bank and the Indian government expressed pro forma shock as well.